At its January meeting, NCMB approved a pilot aimed at expanding the pool of clinicians trained to provide medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder. The Governor’s Institute and the NC Department of Health and Human Services (NC DHHS) have partnered to run the program, which will enable qualified PAs to prescribe buprenorphine for MAT treatment even if their supervising physician is not waivered.

Under current regulations, PAs who have their buprenorphine waivers to treat opioid use disorder OUD may provide MAT as long as their supervising physician is also waivered. Currently, not enough physicians have become buprenorphine waivered to meet the demand for MAT in North Carolina.

Physicians who supervise waivered PAs but have not personally completed all steps to qualify for their buprenorphine waiver are invited to join this pilot program. The Governor’s Institute and NC Society of Addiction Medicine will connect participants with resources and experienced buprenorphine mentors at no cost to participants. Licensees who need to complete buprenorphine/MAT training can also get support through the program.

This pilot program is time limited. Currently the pilot is open to PAs who are waivered. The question of including NPs in the pilot will go before the Board at the March meeting. You can learn more about this program in this informational flyer. At the end of one year, the Governor’s Institute and NC DHHS will report data from the program to NCMB.